Fireflies
by Deadly Fairytale
Summary: The story of Mera Lin, daughter of Zhao. When her life is turned upside down by the death of her father, she learns how it's like in the real world, with real people, real hurt, real hate, and maybe even real love...
1. Chapter 0, prologue

_**Fireflies**_

**Prologue**

It was July in the Firenation Capital. The sun burned, the heat stung. Somewhere, in a normal house, lived a normal family. The oldest daughter, Mera Lin, was pretending she was doing something important, but hadn't figured out what yet. She didn't know anything about life, for she was the spoiled child of admiral Zhao. Who could have imagined what she, only sixteen summers young, was about to face in the near future…

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All sorts of commentary, criticism, hints and compliments are welcome :-)


	2. Chapter 1, Every life begins wa funeral

**Chapter 1**

**Every life begins with a funeral**

'Mera Lin, could you please come over here?'

'Not now, mom. I'm busy.'

'But it's important. Very important.'

I stood up and dragged myself to the living room. Couldn't that important thing wait until the weather was cooled down? But from one look in the big, sad, emerald eyes of my mother I realised it was important. Her eyes looked even more upset that they did normally, which was significant. Mother had always been a small, anxious woman. I presumed that was because of my father. Despite he wasn't home the bigger part of our lives, his strictness and harshness was perceptible in every brick of our house. Admiral, it be so. In my opinion he was just a severe and old-fashioned man who terrorized us with his stories about how strong and important he was in the war. I never accepted him as my dad, just as a dismal man that lived in our house.

'Please sit down. It will be some very bad and shocking news.'

'I don't think it will be less shocking if I sit down. Just tell me.'

And sit down yourself, I thought, before the stress reaches your legs. Mother took a chair. Did I say it out loud? That could be possible, my mother was too anxious to say something about it.

'Would you like a cup of tea?'

I would like to hear your important bad news, be shocked about it, and then just continue what I was doing, whatever that might be. But that was rude to say.

'Yes please.'

She poured the tea into small porcelain cups. Her hands were shaking, poor woman. Finally I took a chair and settled down. It was rash to leave her on her own right now.

'Please tell me the bad news mom.'

'Well…'

She looked at me like I would be so shocked when I heard it, that I would spit out my tea in her face.

'You know a lot of things changed when firelord Zuko was crowned.'

'Definitely. People are happier, less scared.'

'Yes, most of them are.'

I tried my best not to yawn, after I would have screamed: I thought this was so important I couldn't wait? I kept myself back, knowing mother was scared. Extremely scared.

'Just tell me, mom. I'm sure I can handle it.'

She sighted and stared at her shoes, continuous whirling her tea.

'You remember I told you father was imprisoned for participating at the war?'

I nodded my head. I remembered clearly how relieved I felt when she told me.

'That was just what I whished that had happened to him. But it was a lie.'

She held her breath for a second. Her hands became fists, like she fought against the truth. She lost.

'They found his body yesterday...'

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All sorts of commentary, criticism, hints and compliments are welcome :-)


	3. Chapter 2, Justice

**Chapter 2**

**J****ustice**

Should I be happy now? It was a horrible man, but he was still my father. Sad? Why should I be? He never did anything for me, except for dumping the half of my genes into my mothers belly. No, I didn't feel any emotion at all. It was just like I had foreseen this, and put it beside me.

'Where is he now?'

'He will be send to the Firenation, so we can give him a place to rest in peace.'

The combination of the words "peace" and "my father" sounded ironical to me. Tears started to run down my mothers cheeks. I took her hand, because I didn't know what to say. Again I asked myself why I wasn't sad, or at least shocked. I just couldn't. My mother had been the one to raise me, the one that cooked, cleaned and looked after me and my siblings. My father was just good for the money, and that was probably the only reason why someone wanted to marry him. He was always angry. Or proud of himself, which was even worse. No, I absolutely felt nothing. The only thing I cared about now, was my poor mother. That made me kind of sick. How could I just had lost my father and don't feel any loss? How could I live with myself?!

My mother had collapsed into her own feelings of guilt and misery. That night, she asked me again to sit down. When I looked at her, I was startled. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face looked old and fragile, frowning with everything that could frown. But when she saw I stared at her, she straightened her shoulders and sighed.

'Look, I know the loss of your father is a big shock to all of us, but we have another problem…'

She played with a wisp of her hair and tried to put her story into words.

'Now that your father is… gone, we will run out of money soon.'

The word "gone" cost her a lot of strain. After a break of a few seconds, she continued.

'I can't do any hard work, because of my back pains. And since your bother and sister are still school age…'

I knew what was coming. I had to seek a job, work my butt off and supplant my father. I didn't want to, I was not going to be like him, never.

'I must ask you to earn the money now. It's our only chance of not losing this house and live in poverty.'

I wanted to say that it wasn't fair. It wasn't my fault he died, though I wished for it so many times lying in my bed, after he beat me up when he was home. It wasn't my fault my mother had back pains, and it was definitely not my fault that I was the oldest child. But though I wanted to say that so badly, I didn't. My father had destroyed lives, he had almost quashed the whole North pole. That was where our money came from. My father's destructive actions in the war. Now thát was unfair!

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Your commentary is appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 3,The wise old lady

**Chapter 3**

**The wise old lady**

The next day felt like the hottest day in Firenation history to me. The sun was ruthless, and so were the shop owners. I tried almost everywhere, but nobody needed someone like me. I wondered how long I had to walk around in this unbearable heat until I found someone who didn't send me right away when I said I was looking for a job. If I had any talent, like dancing, or painting for that sake, I could have earned money with that. But I didn't have any talent like that. I never needed one. Until now at least. But now it was time for justice, time to earn fair money.

After I had walked through the city the whole afternoon, I was tired and sweaty. I felt like a big reject, and decided to go to the city park to enjoy the shadow for a moment. Nobody even could mention another employer. I trudged to a wooden bench in the shadow of an old willow, where an old lady was knitting socks. Socks, with this weather? Had she lost her mind?! She looked as old as the world itself, with deep wrinkles and quivering hands. I perceived I was impertinently gazing at her, and when she noticed I was watching, I turned my head away. I swept away the sweat on my forehead and sighed.

'Is there anything wrong, young lady?'

The old knitter had a cracking, but sweet voice.

'O, it's nothing. It's just that I feel like a sweaty failure. I can't get a job ánywhere. I've tried all day!'

The lady didn't seem deterred after my cynical outburst. Instead she seemed astonished.

'You can't find work? Hére?!'

Apparently she got stuck a few years ago. Now that the war was over, and all the soldiers were back, there was a big problem of unemployment.

'Which shop do you mean?'

'Shop? I mean the Firelord's palace.'

Her toothless mouth smiled. I began to understand it. Indeed a lot of things had changed drastically, and I didn't understand why I only saw the bad side of it. Every one that remained loyal to Ozai was fired immediately. I bet I could find work by replacing these people.

'That would be great, thank you very much.'

She began to flare hearing my thankful words, like it was the kindest thing someone said to her in a long time. Devising she worked for firelord Ozai, that may be true.

'They still need gardeners. Now that the temperature is this high, everything grows very fast.'

The old lady looked like she really enjoyed this conversation.

'Thank you very much, madam. I will seek it out immediately.'

And so I did…

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Comments are more than welcome =)


	5. Chapter 4, The outset of pride

**Chapter 4**

**The outset of pride**

And so I stood here, in the garden of the Firelord's palace. My head was covered by a straw hat, which hid almost my entire face from the sun. In front of me stood my new employer, a grumpy middle aged man with a grey beard. My mother was so proud of me, hearing I found a job at the royal palace. Xion, my little brother, had envied me for serving the firelord. One day, he said, I will be the one to serve and protect him. I had no doubts about that. Xion had a strong will, and do whatever it took to get what he wanted. He would be a great bodyguard, also because he was a firebender. I wasn't, well, I thought I wasn't. I never tried it, because in my old-fashioned father's opinion only boys were allowed to use bending. And I knew the consequences of disobeying my father. But now he was gone forever, and maybe some day I would try it…

'Hey, are you even listening?'

I startled from the strict sound in the sudden sharp voice and started to talk a waterfall of nonsense.

'O really, young lady? Then what exactly was I saying?'

If I would say I hadn't have heard one single word of what he just babbled, I would be kicked out immediately.

'First I have to… errm… prune the hedges, and when I'm done with that, I will mow the lawn. O, and for the lawn's sake, always mow with the growth direction.'

That sounded pretty convincing. Too bad my employer didn't exactly say that. And so this would be end, farewell sweet justice. But just when I thought my butt was going to be kicked out of the garden, the bearded man burst out laughing.

'You have guts, little girl.'

I was flabbergasted. Not only because he just accepted my silly sham, the more for what he said afterwards. Shams weren't the same as guts, shams were easy. And for the record, I wasn't just a little girl.

'Alright, you want to prune the hedge? Start over there. I will be back within an hour or so, to check on you.'

It. Was. Boring. No wait, boring was an understatement. It was a dreadfully tedious and mindless job even a cerebral dead horsemonkey could do. The temperature was way too high, and since I was working without any form of shadow nearby I felt like I was being boiled in my own sweaty tunic. Now I understood why nobody was pruning hedges. I felt stupid, and hearing I had a "awful deviation to my left hand which kind of ruined the outlook of the hedge for the next few weeks" didn't really cheer me up either. But hey, maybe though trimming vegetation wasn't my greatest ambition, I earned money with it. Every hour in this garden was worth 3 copper coins. If it wasn't for the money, at this very moment I would have walked away to find some shadow and a mug of water. Mr. Lawnmower, as I nicknamed him, didn't talk to me again for the rest of the day. He never even introduced himself, which was rude and ill-mannered. He just walked around and looked at us with a severe glance.

The dreamy mood from this morning though came back when I walked home, sweaty and tired. Everyone would be waiting for me to bring home food. Not just food, it was fair, fresh, and above all self-eared food. For the first time in my entire life I felt… I didn't know exactly, but I thought it was pride. Pride for being useful. Real pride, not the itchy feeling that I called from now on arrogance. No, I was changing, just like the world did. And the biggest change was yet to come…

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**Comments are really appreciated =)**

O and for political correctness' sake, I don't own ATLA (which is obvious, why else would I be on a _FAN_site?!)


	6. Chapter 5, The boy with the scar

**Chapter 5**

**The boy with the scar**

After two weeks I was introduced to my job, and I was qualified to do a more precise task: to spud up weeds behind the bower of the royal family. You can't even imagine how not-amused I was when I heard this was what I had to do the rest of my life. Unless I got fired because of my "left hand issue". Or for speaking out loud that Mr. Lawnmower was a jerk, which was even more likely to happen. Armed with bucket and shovel I went on with this "expedition for advanced".

Of course, the flowers were already breathtakingly beautiful. Maybe I could just hide from the sun, taking a little well-earned break. When I was sure no-one could see me, I laid down on the cool earth behind the firelilies. I closed my eyes and imagined what I would have done when I was home, workless, careless. Most likely sleeping. Maybe a little nap wasn't too bad. I felt the soft earth, the muggy air, the…

'You are really brilliant with nature, you know…'

I quickly opened my eyes as the voice reached my ears. How long had I been sleeping? And who was the voice? It wasn't Mr. Lawnmower's, he had a low and strict voice that caused goose bumps when he spoke too loudly. No, this voice was younger, nicer. Hoarse but confident.

'…Most gardeners have to work their socks off, but you just have to lie on flowers to make them look more beautiful. Impressive.'

I looked up, following the pleasant tone of voice. I looked into the smiling face of a gorgeous guy. His long black hair was combed to the left, so I could see only one half of his face. Yet it was the most beautiful guy I had ever seen. Not that I had seen much attractive boys in the past sixteen years, I wasn't even interested in romance. I could handle myself, and didn't need a guy to look after me. Yuk, the idea of losing my freedom!

But I knew this boy was different, with his hair shining in the dimmed sunlight that shimmered through the trees. The one eye I could see was gold and inviting, and his body was tall and slim, yet he seemed muscular underneath the simple garb he was wearing. He was grinning friendly and charming, standing there and looking at me. I wondered if the firelord had given him permission to behave this way, hanging around in his bower and distract labourers. As if he heard me thinking, which was quite possible since I think aloud sometimes, he jumped over the fence of the bower, landing half a meter next to me. The thing that stroke me was the large scar he tried to hide carefully with his hair. But his disguise failed as his hair rose upwards as the scalding air caressed it. And then I knew I had seen him before. I couldn't point out his name, but his face was so familiar. But instead of the name of this gift of heaven, I always said stupid things near boys.

'Hey there, mind the flowers!'

And that I was stammering just because couldn't find something less flattering to say. I felt sorry for him being around this insecure me, and yet I hated him because he made me babble stupid things.

'They're just flowers, calm down', he said with a twist of mock in his voice.

'Don't you let them hear that remark.'

I wás calm. I just tried to turn his comment into a joke, couldn't he see? Never mind, the temperature was way to high for this kind of jokes. He didn't even laugh. I decided he was stupid. But pretty, which solved about eighty percent of the issue. Still I wondered who this scarred guy could be.

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I still don't own Avatar, and probably never will (unless I win the lottery, maybe). Do I really have to say this stuff all the times to esteem copywrite?!

**And I would value your reactions. SO HIT THAT GREEN BUTTON OR... **

...no wait, I won't eat your mommy alive *_*

Gosh I really suck at threathening people.


	7. Chapter 6, Maybe, eventually

**Chapter 6**

**Maybe, eventually.**

'So, you were sleeping in our garden?'

'Actually, I was working very hard on things that are beyond your imagination', I answered, trying to stand my ground.

Who did this strange guy think he was, the local god of the garden?! Well, I didn't need his attitude, for I had my own. _Our_ garden? Dream on guy. But though I felt kind of assaulted by this stranger, he was also intriguing and enchanting. His lips almost seemed to sing the words, and it was beautiful and charming and all other nice and flattering words I could imagine in a few seconds. Well, at least until a vision of him occurred in which he was practicing perfect smiles in front of his mirror to break the heart of every girl crossing his path. I bared an immense dislike for that type of guys, and I was not going to change that just because he was pretty. Really, really pretty...

I decided to say something stupid again to break the ice one more time. Talking to this gorgeous loser was better than just stand there.

'Who are you anyway?'

He never answered me, he just stood there as if I were obtuse. Great. Not that I really mattered, but the feeling of being dull and ignorant bothered me.

'Go ahead, laugh me off. I wasn't interested in the first place', I said with an untainted smirk.

But instead of mocking me one more time, he just smiled.

'Who I am is a way too complex story for now. Could you be contend with _what_ I am?'

'Surprise me, scarface.'

I kind of offended him by saying that, but it was the only way to teach him his place. But just when I thought he was about to tell me, I turned out to be the one to answer a question.

'Why are you working here?'

'Because cutting off the superfluous parts of vegetation is my greatest ambition.'

'Your lying now.'

'No kidding. Of course it's only for the coins, what else did you expect?'

He laughed, and it made me feel comfortable in an itchy and unknown way. I didn't know whether to like it or not.

'To be honest, I meant to ask you: why are you working _here_?'

'Because the new firelord kicked out all of the disloyal servants. They were in unbelievable need of me, since it seems like only people like you and Mr. Lawnmower lingered around.'

'Mr…who?'

'Never mind.'

'And what did you mean by "people like me"?'

'Do you want me to be honest or nice?'

'Both.'

'Then forget what I just said.'

He raised one eyebrow trying to read my not amused face. I turned my eyes away and blushed. Don't ask me why, it just happened. And I hated it.

'But to return to the subject. You said something about a new firelord, didn't you?'

He looked at me with a big flirty smile I couldn't decipher.

'Yes, there's a new firelord, so there's new employment. Oh my, I thought you would know, but hey, maybe even the mental degree of a spoon is estimated way too high for you.'

On this very moment he was supposed to feel obtuse, just to know how it felt. But he just smiled at me, watching whatever I did with lots of fascination. My normal self would have found it annoying, but to be honest, it wasn't. I know it sounds strange, but I felt special to be looked at this way. I felt like I was stunning and breathtakingly gorgeous. Just like him.

'I have to go now.'

But he didn't go. He just sat there, waiting for me to say something.

'What are you waiting for?'

'Just… nothing.'

I rolled my eyes.

'Is there a chance to see you again?'

This was the most shocking part of the afternoon, for I didn't know what to say. He annoyed me, and I didn't like to be annoyed. On the other hand, somewhere inside of me a part of me was fascinated by him, and didn't want to let go of him. I decided to not promise anything.

'Maybe, eventually.'

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It's a sad fact that I still don't own Avatar ;)

**Please comment!**


	8. Chapter 7, Obsession

**Chapter 7**

**Obsession**

The next few days I passed in a weird mood that consisted of indifference and desperation, which was a strange combination. I simply didn't know how to feel, nothing ever satisfied or comforted me. It was not really that I couldn't care less, it was just that everything seemed less important since the mysterious guy started to act gorgeous and annoying at me. I felt restless. Somehow I needed to see him again. I spent my day lurking over the hedges, waiting for him to cross my path again, but he never was there. Why, in the name of the spirits, was nobody ever polite enough to introduce himself?! Not that I was any better, I hadn't say my name either, but at least I asked his and he was rude enough not to tell me. But the most annoying thing about him was that he just wouldn't stop haunting my mind. He was always there, with his tall and muscular body, his long black hair and the painfully looking scar he tried to hide behind it. I should go back to the bower, and if he was there too, I should smack his face for haunting me.

But he wasn't there. Neither was he the next day. I wondered where he hid, not to be found by a focussed voyeur like me. It was strange to think about how many people weren't him. He had to get out of my head, no matter what it should take. It felt so strange that most of my daydreams of him weren't about smashing his face with a large and heavy object. They were about him smiling at me, him hugging me, and even one day it was about us kissing each other. And the strangest part was that I liked that one the most, and I loathed myself for it. At that point I decided to focus on my work as a gardener, which yielded it's fruit. One day Mr. Lawnmower even came to ask me if I could stay this afternoon to help with the preparation of some feast.

'I assume I don't have any good reason not to.'

He promised to pay me five copper coins an hour, which was quite much in my view.

'You should go to the dining-hall, some lady will give you more instructions.'

That sounded challenging; time to throw a royal feast.

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Short chapter, yet quite important.

**Please hit the green button to let me know if somebody is actually reading this :)**

Still don't own ATLA -.-


	9. Chapter 8, Royal feasts

**Chapter 8**

**Royal feasts**

When I passed the enormous golden gates to the palace, I was stung for a moment by the terrifying beauty of it. All those tapestries, all those paintings of long dead firelords, the golden ceilings and the sculptures. It overwhelmed me so much that I almost overlooked the door to the dining-hall. The hall was not as enormous as I thought it would be, but still quite vast and it had a domed roof. A snappy looking fat lady in a way too small dark red suit turned out to lead this excessive dinner party.

'So, you came here to help us with the preparations of the dinner, didn't you?'

I nodded my head, trying not to inhale the oppressive vapour of the lady's perfume.

'Great, I've got just the job for a girl like you. Remember, it must be eerily close to perfect. The parents of the will-be firelady will come over tonight, and they demanded nothing but the best.'

I looked around and saw dozens of servants decorate the hall with candles and tapestries. I wondered if I was meant to become one of them. The obesed authority though had different plans.

'Follow me.'

I followed her as fast as my feet could follow, but her bulky short legs were faster then they looked. She was taking me to somewhere in the rear of the palace, and pitifully I didn't even have time to take a good look at the beauty of it. Before I even noticed, I got introduced to the head-cook; Zama.

'Good evening madam, I'm Mera Lin. I think I'm sent here to help you prepare the dinner, or something like that.'

'Please, just call me Zama. I'm glad they've finally sent some extra support, it's a vast amount of work.'

'Well, don't expect too much from me. I'm just a gardener.'

'Many hands make light work, they say. I think I have a task for you even a gardener can handle.'

She smiled. She looked like a nice women, with her sparkling brown eyes and cheerful dimples. Like a cosy and chatty mother of the kitchen.

It came down on; me garnishing the salads. I never did it before, but it was plain easy. I liked this way of effortlessly earning money, and the best of all was: Zama liked the salads, though they looked like hurled lopping to me.

'Next party I'm asking you again, you really seem to have an eye for this.'

'Thank you, I'm honoured', I grinned.

'You knew firelord Zuko was celebrating his 17th birthday in about nine days, didn't you?'

'To be honest, I didn't. Though I would be glad to help you again, it's a lot better than abridging trees.'

She looked stunned when I told her I was unaware of another presumably exorbitant royal feast.

'You_ didn't_? Aren't you supposed to learn those things at school?'

It sounded reproachful, but I remonstrated it wasn't meant that way.

'I left school two years ago, so I'm brainwashed at the Ozai-era.'

She began to understand my uninformed situation, I saw it in her eyes.

'Then forget what I just said. But you are completely alien to the new royal family?'

'At least I know the name of the firelord is Zuko.'

And I only knew that because she just told me. I could care less about the royal family and whoever it existed of. They were just all the same boring futileness to me.

'Maybe I can point out some important details to you after the next feast, so I can also show them to you. Too bad that the firelord himself is absent today. Congress in Omashu, or something like that.'

She seemed so exited about teaching me stupid facts about the royal family and it was so rude to abstain.

'Well maybe I just…'

No, I couldn't find a good excuse.

'…why not, sounds fun.'

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Mera Lin's naivety is almost cute, for not knowing who the guy behind the bower was :P

**Please review! Commentary, critisism, hints and compliments are always welcome :D**


	10. Chapter 9, Big broiling birthday brew

**Chapter 9**

**Big Broiling Birthday Brew**

The party was, like I expected, a total smasher. It was awfully funny to see those wealthy pigs get loose. Too bad the firelord wasn't there, I was yarning to laugh him off because he would be drunk and do stupid dances or something similar. Well, I got a new chance to mock royalty; his come-back from Omashu three days later. They seemed to feel the urge to throw a feast for _every_ stupid little thing concerning firelord Yuck-o, or whatever he was called. I sucked at remembering the names of boring people. When I got at the almost two kilometre entranceway, I saw Zama and decided to have a little chat.

'Hey Zama, did you get good feedback on the diner?'

'Hey… wait I've kind of forgotten your name.'

'Mera Lin.'

'Yeah, Mera Lin. They really appreciated the food, I even got a compliment concerning the garnishing. That's completely yours, of course.'

She gave me a somewhat overdone blink and a mysterious grin.

'I talked to Charzo, the head of the garden management. I could really use your help in the kitchen. He agreed, since you were "slightly tended to prune oblique".'

She giggled like a little girl who just told a gossip to her best friend, a really scrumptious gossip which was never to be told to anybody. Except for that friend.

'So, would you like to be my junior-cook? You said yourself it was a lot better than abridging trees.'

'But of course, it would be great to work with food all day.'

And to be rid of my annoying and scary employer, I added in silence.

Working in the kitchen was a lot tougher than I hoped. After a few days I began to realise it was hard working. A whole team of cooks relied on you. You just couldn't be slow, or your would be fired. And don't get me started about those nosy and intervening colleagues. There wasn't any time left to dream. Well, of course there wasn't anyone to dream of, but you know what I mean. Time was spend in a collective, up-tempo way. Sometimes I wondered if it was a good idea to let our nation be ruled by some people who where incapable to make their own food. Really, where was this world going?

The good thing about this job though, was that we could eat the leftovers. Lots better than my mothers stew; brewed with ache, complains, fear and misery. My mother always had something that ached, itched, bruised or a combination of those. At least I wasn't fragile like her. Instead, I looked like my father, which was worse than any itchy achy bruise on this whole earth. But enough talk about the bodies of my creators; much work had to be done before Thursday, the big day. The day on which mister royal reached a not-so-important age. Hurray.


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